Archive
Friday, February 29th, 2008
#14 (20): Davidson (22-6, 19-0), 2282.1
Davidson continues to cruise, and their double-digit win at Winthrop was very impressive. Arguably their hardest conference game still remains, with a trip to Georgia Southern coming up.
Last week: W @ #77 Winthrop 60-47, W v. #136 Appalachian St. 68-55
This week: S @ #111 Georgia Southern
#13 (14): Georgetown (23-4, 13-3), 2282.5
The Hoyas have a very difficult schedule coming up, but benefit from having nothing but home games. Marquette are in town this week, and Louisville arrive next week to settle the conference title.
Last week: W v. #118 Cincinnati 73-53, W v. #222 St. John’s 64-52
This week: S v. #19 Marquette
#12 (7): Butler (26-3, 15-2), 2289.4
Butler suffered their first non-conference loss at Drake, but edged by Wright St. to grab the Horizon league title. Their last regular-season game is this week when Detroit come to town, and they should win it fairly handily.
Last week: L v. #17 Drake 64-71, W v. #73 Wright St. 66-61
This week: S v. #301 Detroit
#11 (12): Stanford (23-4, 12-3), 2301.3
The Cardinal easily saw off challenges from Cal and Washington, but now the road gets really tough, as they host Washington St. before finishing their season with a trip to Los Angeles, facing both UCLA and USC in their final two games.
Last week: W v. #133 California 79-69, W v. #125 Washington 82-79
This week: S v. #23 Washington St., R @ #4 UCLA
#10 (4): Kansas (25-3, 10-3), 2324.0
Kansas suffered a bad loss at a below .500 Oklahoma St. team, and it was almost enough to send them plummeting out of the top 10. They have a chance to earn some redemption with a game hosting Kansas St., but have now reached the point where they need a Texas loss to share the title.
Last week: L @ #95 Oklahoma St. 60-61, W @ #177 Iowa St. 75-64
This week: S v. #50 Kansas St., M v. #109 Texas Tech
#9 (11): Louisville (23-6, 13-3), 2324.6
Two fairly tight wins over Pitt and Notre Dame have done a lot to lift Louisville to the top of the conference, but the game with Georgetown next week will be the final reckoning for the Big East championship.
Last week: W @ #49 Pittsburgh 75-73, W v. #18 Notre Dame 90-85
This week: U v. #83 Villanova
#8 (9): Wisconsin (24-4, 14-2), 2331.7
Two very good wins against Ohio St. and Michigan St. put the Badgers in the driver’s seat, and should they win their last two games, they will have at least a share of the title.
Last week: W @ #91 Ohio St. 58-53, W v. #39 Michigan St. 57-42
This week: W v. #190 Penn St.
#7 (6): Duke (24-3, 11-2), 2331.8
After losing two straight ACC games, Duke rebounded by beating both St. John’s and Georgia Tech, but dropped in the rankings, since their opponents were pretty weak. They play the bottom two teams in the ACC this week, so they should host UNC in the final day with the conference title on the line.
Last week: W v. #222 St. John’s 86-56, W v. #134 Georgia Tech 71-58
This week: S @ #186 North Carolina St., W @ #144 Virginia
#6 (10): Texas (24-4, 11-2), 2320.7
Texas pulled off two very solid wins, winning handily at home over Oklahoma, and winning by 9 in Manhattan. They should be able to hold their last three games, which are all against bottom half teams, and if they do they will be conference champions.
Last week: W v. #81 Oklahoma 62-45, W @ #50 Kansas St. 74-65
This week: S @ #109 Texas Tech, T v. #64 Nebraska
#5 (5): Xavier (24-4, 12-1), 2339.9
Xavier continue to win unabated, beating Dayton by 6 and leaving no doubt as to their conference championship. Their game against one of the second place teams, St. Joe’s, this week, will be an interesting one, while their other games should be fairly simple wins.
Last week: W @ #108 Dayton 57-51
This week: S v. #191 George Washington, R @ #61 Saint Joseph’s
#4 (8): UCLA (25-3, 13-2), 2343.5
A total destruction of Arizona St. helped the Bruins move back up into the top 5. They still have to complete the second half of their Arizona trip, and still have Stanford coming up. They have the upper hand for now, but the Stanford game will be basically all-determining.
Last week: W v. #102 Oregon 75-65, W @ #82 Arizona St. 70-49
This week: U @ #57 Arizona, R v. #11 Stanford
#3 (3): Tennessee (25-3, 11-2), 2344.6
Tennessee made a huge step by derailing Memphis’ perfect season, but gave it immediately back by losing against their other in-state rivals, Vandy. The Vols now have to hold on to their title hopes with games against Kentucky and Florida, but if they can get through that they should be pretty set.
Last week: W @ #1 Memphis 66-62, L @ #24 Vanderbilt 69-72
This week: U v. #63 Kentucky, W @ #47 Florida
#2 (2): North Carolina (26-2, 11-2), 2374.3
UNC handled their game with ease, and should continue to cruise at least until the final game of the season with Duke.
Last week: W v. #80 Wake Forest 89-73
This week: S @ #174 Boston College, T v. #94 Florida St.
#1 (1): Memphis (27-1, 13-0), 2377.1
So Memphis are officially no longer perfect overall, but still have the chance to defend their perfect conference record when UAB, their closest conference challenger to date, come to town. Their games this week should be fairly easy.
Last week: L v. #3 Tennessee 62-66, W v. #97 Tulsa 82-67
This week: S @ #129 Southern Mississippi, W v. #302 Southern Methodist
Friday, February 29th, 2008
#25 (NR): Kent St. (23-5, 11-2), 2241.9
The win over St. Mary’s vaulted the Golden Flashes into the top 25, and with only three games left, they should be able to hold on until at least their last game, which is a trip to Akron.
Last week: W @ #282 Buffalo 76-66, W @ #32 St. Mary’s 65-57
This week: S @ #212 Bowling Green, T v. #142 Miami OH
#24 (NR): Vanderbilt (24-4, 9-4), 2244.2
After losing 4 of their first 6 in conference, the Commodores have charged back with 7 straight wins, and pulled into fourth in the conference with their win over #1 in the polls, Tennessee. However, their real test will be the last three games, including a trip to Arkansas and a visit from Mississippi St. these weeks.
Last week: W v. #189 Georgia 86-74, W v. #3 Tennessee 72-69
This week: S @ #55 Arkansas, W v. #33 Mississippi St.
#23 (18): Washington St. (22-6, 10-6), 2246.0
An Arizona loss ends up dropping the Cougars a few places, but they recovered by winning big at Cal. They have a big game this weekend at Stanford that could move them up into the top 15, and after that only a fairly easy game with their in-state rivals.
Last week: L v. #57 Arizona 55-65, W @ #133 California 70-49
This week: S @ #11 Stanford
#22 (NR): Robert Morris (24-6, 15-2), 2246.7
The NEC leaders have put together 12 straight wins, including beating Wagner and Sacred Heart last week to give themselves a clear 1 game lead. With only a single conference game left, they don’t have much of a chance to move up, and so should probably drop out after this week.
Last week: W v. #87 Wagner 74-52, W @ #99 Sacred Heart 82-69
This week: S @ #172 Long Island
#21 (19): Brigham Young (22-6, 11-2), 2247.5
BYU split their two road games this week, losing at SDSU and winning at New Mexico, and have all but sealed up the MWC title, as their three games left come against teams that they should reasonably beat.
Last week: L @ #100 San Diego St. 65-69, W @ #34 New Mexico 70-69
This week: S v. #170 Air Force, W v. #223 Wyoming
#20 (21): Purdue (22-6, 13-2), 2254.4
Their only game last week was a pretty easy win over Minnesota, and if they can win at Ohio St. this week they should be in for a share of the Big 10 title, as their other games are against weaker opposition.
Last week: W v. #112 Minnesota 65-53
This week: S v. #261 Northwestern, T @ #91 Ohio St.
#19 (24): Marquette (21-6, 11-5), 2258.5
Wins over Rutgers and Villanova have moved Marquette up towards the top of the Big East, but the real test for them will be their trip to Georgetown, which could potentially send them above the Hoyas in the rankings with a win.
Last week: W v. #258 Rutgers 78-48, W @ #83 Villanova 85-75
This week: S @ #13 Georgetown, T v. #311 Florida Gulf Coast
#18 (16): Notre Dame (21-6, 11-4), 2258-8
A 5-point loss at Louisville somewhat offsets the Irish’s home win over Syracuse, but the good news is that the Irish have passed all of their harder games, and only teams well below .500 are left on the schedule.
Last week: W v. #84 Syracuse 94-87, L @ #9 Louisville 85-90
This week: U @ #215 DePaul, W v. #222 St. John’s
#17 (15): Drake (24-4, 14-3), 2265.4
Drake did their job in their BracketBusters game, winning an excellent game in Butler, but gave it back with a third Valley loss at Missouri St. They’ll finish their season an Saturday with a game against Wichita St., but are fortunate enough that even two more losses would not drop them from the tourney at this point.
Last week: W @ #12 Butler 71-64, T @ #138 Missouri St. 83-86
This week: S v. #238 Wichita St.
#16 (13): Connecticut (22-6, 11-4), 2265.4
Connecticut suffered a disappointing loss at Villanova, but saved some face by winning at Rutgers. Their run to a title will now be difficult, as they will not only need help, but will also need to beat both West Virginia and Cincinnati, though both games are at home.
Last week: L @ #83 Villanova 65-67, W @ #258 Rutgers 79-61
This week: S v. #41 West Virginia, R @ #165 Providence
#15 (17): Indiana (24-4, 13-2), 2271.9
Indiana are right in the Big 10 fight, after four straight wins, including three critical ones over top half teams. They’ll need to travel to Lansing and earn a win, and will still have Minnesota to deal with, but it certainly should be within their reach.
Last week: W @ #261 Northwestern 85-82, W v. #91 Ohio St. 72-69
This week: U @ #39 Michigan St., W v. #112 Minnesota
Wednesday, February 27th, 2008
Again: Teams in the top 25 of the AP or ESPN/USA Today poll won't be counted, though I will mention them at the end.
1. Davidson – Southern (21-6, 18-0), (#14, #4 MM, LW #5 MM)
A solid road win at Winthrop was enough to lift the Wildcats into the top 15. If they’re not at least a 10, someone’s gonna get a really bad draw as a top half team. Their conference season will finish this week, and the only real challenge left is a game at Georgia Southern.
Last week: W @ #76 Winthrop 60-47
This week: W v. #138 Appalachian St., S @ #93 Georgia Southern
2. Stephen F. Austin – Southland (22-3, 10-2), (#24, #8 MM, LW #10 MM)
A dominant win over Sam Houston was their last real challenge in the conference, but it still may not be enough to win. The Lumberjacks will need a slip-up from Lamar to even earn a share of the title.
Last week: W v. #97 Sam Houston St. 79-57
This week: W @ #259 Texas St., S v. #170 Texas Arlington
3. Virginia Commonwealth – Colonial (21-6, 13-3), (#26, #10 MM, LW #16 MM)
VCU did well to beat Akron, and a win in either of their two remaining conference games will earn them a solo conference title. Both their games should be fairly simple, so one wouldn’t expect them to have any problems doing this.
Last week: W @ #162 Northeastern 66-62, W @ #92 Akron 57-52
This week: W v. #130 NC Wilmington, S @ #210 William & Mary
4. South Alabama – Sun Belt (23-5, 14-2), (#27, #11 MM, LW #13 MM)
A huge win at Western Kentucky moved the Jaguars ahead of the Hilltoppers, and pulled back into a tie atop the conference. New Orleans and FIU should be fairly easy wins, so it seems unlikely they’ll do anything less than earn a share of the title.
Last week: W @ #31 Western Kentucky 69-64, W v. #319 Presbyterian 64-49
This week: R v. #161 New Orleans, S @ #237 Florida International
5. Robert Morris – Northeast (23-6, 14-2), (#28, #12 MM, LW #12 MM)
A win at home against title chasers Wagner put Robert Morris in command of the NEC, but a game at Sacred Heart, who are only a single game behind, has the potential to trip them up.
Last week: W v. #142 Mount St. Mary’s 69-66, W v. #89 Wagner 74-52
This week: R @ #75 Sacred Heart, S @ #192 Long Island
6. Western Kentucky – Sun Belt (22-6, 14-2), (#31, #14 MM, LW #7 MM)
Two road games against the Florida teams likely will end the Hilltoppers’ season on a good note, after they dropped their last chance for a sole title with their home loss to USA.
Last week: L v. #27 South Alabama 64-69, W v. #282 Louisiana Monroe 86-75
This week: W @ #237 Florida International,
7. New Mexico – Mountain West (22-7, 9-5), (#35, #15 MM, LW #18 MM)
A pair of one point games moves UNM to 9-5 in conference play, 2.5 games out of the lead, as they beat Utah and loss to BYU. A loss to UNLV this week would severely set them back into the mid-table of the conference.
Last week: W @ #88 Utah 72-71 L v. #20 Brigham Young 69-70
This week: T v. #36 Nevada Las Vegas
8. Nevada Las Vegas– Mountain West (21-6, 10-3), (#36, #16 MM, LW #20 MM)
Beating SDSU gave the Rebels a modest move up, but their real test will be down the stretch against New Mexico and Utah, as they hope that BYU will lose and give them a shot at sharing the MWC title.
Last week: W @ #243 Wyoming 73-65, W v. #99 San Diego St. 68-58
This week: S v. #193 Texas Christian, T @ #35 New Mexico
9. Cornell – Ivy (18-5, 10-0), (#37, #17 MM, LW #21 MM)
This week saw the Red hold off both Brown and Yale, establishing a three game lead in the Ivy. With a home weak against struggling Dartmouth and Harvard teams, a 12-0 record seems quite reasonable, and then only trips to two down powers in Penn and Princeton will stand between a Cornell perfect run.
Last week: L @ #41 IUPUI 66-69, W v. #259 Southern Utah 71-62
This week: R v. #306 Missouri Kansas City, S v. #74 Creighton
10. Houston – Conference USA (20-6, 9-3), (#39, #18 MM, LW #15 MM)
The UAB loss dropped Houston into a tie for second, one that it looks like they’ll be able to hold, as their only challenging game left is a season finale at UTEP.
Last week: L @ #41 UAB 99-101, W v. #333 Rice 71-62
This week: W v. #119 Southern Mississippi, S @ #296 East Carolina
11. Saint Joseph’s – Atlantic 10 (17-8, 8-4), (#40, #19 MM, LW #24 MM)
12. UAB – Conference USA (19-8, 9-3), (#41, #20 MM, LW #25 MM)
13. Cal St. Fullerton – Big West (18-7, 10-3), (#42, #21 MM, LW #23 MM)
14. Oral Roberts – Summit (20-7, 15-1), (#43, #22 MM, LW #14 MM)
15. Southern Illinois – Missouri Valley (17-12, 11-6), (#44, #23 MM, LW NR)
16. IUPUI – Summit (22-6, 14-3), (#48, #24 MM, LW #19 MM)
17. Illinois St. – Missouri Valley (20-8, 11-5), (#50, #25 MM, LW NR)
Not included because in polls:
Memphis – Conference USA (26-1, 12-0), (#1, #1 MM (LW #1 MM), #2 AP, #3 ESPN)
Xavier – Atlantic 10 (24-4, 12-1), (#4, #2 MM (LW #2 MM), #9 AP, #11 ESPN)
Butler – Horizon (25-3, 14-2), (#12, #3 MM (LW #3 MM), #14 AP, #13 ESPN)
Drake – Missouri Valley (24-4, 14-3), (#18, #4 MM (LW #5 MM), #20 AP/ESPN)
Brigham Young – Mountain West (22-6, 11-2), (#20, #6 MM (LW #6 MM), #25 ESPN)
Kent St. – Mid-American (23-5,11-2), (#23, #7 MM (LW #11 MM), #23 AP, #24 ESPN)
Gonzaga – West Coast (22-6,11-1), (#25, #9 MM (LW #9 MM), #24 AP)
St. Mary’s – West Coast (24-4, 11-1), (#29, #13 MM (LW #8 MM), #25 AP, #23 ESPN)
Dropped out: Rhode Island (20-8, 6-7), Boise St. (20-7, 10-3)
Friday, February 22nd, 2008
#14 (10): Georgetown (21-4, 11-3), 2266.8
The Syracuse loss took away their clear place as conference leaders, and dropped the Hoyas into a murky 4-way tie. Fortunately, after two easy games this week, Marquette and Louisville come to DC and give Georgetown a chance to re-establish themselves as the conference #1.
Last week: L @ #72 Syracuse 70-77, W @ #153 Providence 68-58
This week: S v. #106 Cincinnati, W v. #221 St. John’s
#13 (14): Connecticut (21-5, 10-3), 2273.5
The third of the four 3-loss contenders in the Big East, UConn have perhaps the easiest path to 15-3. Their three road games aren’t hard, and they get their two toughest games at home, in West Virginia and Cincy. Still, their struggles with USF and DePaul this week does not bode well.
Last week: W @ #210 South Florida 74-73, W v. #197 DePaul 65-60
This week: S @ #75 Villanova, T @ #248 Rutgers
#12 (13): Stanford (21-4, 10-3), 2289.4
The Cardinal split their Arizona trip, which is not a terrible result, considering they won’t leave California for the rest of the season. This week, they have Cal and Washington, but things ramp up in difficulty after that, with Washington St., UCLA and USC to close out the year.
Last week: L @ #90 Arizona St. 68-72, W @ #62 Arizona 67-66
This week: U v. #111 California, R v. #99 Washington
#11 (12): Louisville (21-6, 11-3), 2297.3
I think it’s telling about how close the Big East is that the top 4 teams are all within the 11th and 16th places in the rankings. Louisville look to have the hardest schedule of the contenders, playing at Pitt and Georgetown and hosting Notre Dame, but come in on a huge roll, having won 6 straight.
Last week: W @ #153 Providence 80-72, W v. #72 Syracuse 61-50
This week: U @ #45 Pittsburgh, R v. #16 Notre Dame
#10 (15): Texas (22-4, 9-2), 2299.3
Three straight wins over Kansas, A&M and Baylor have done a lot to lift the Longhorns in the last couple of weeks. They have two more tough games this week against Oklahoma and Kansas St., but the schedule gets easier from there. If they survive the next two, they should have at least a share of the title.
Last week: W @ #88 Baylor 82-77, W v. #39 Texas A&M 77-50
This week: S v. #47 Oklahoma, M @ #36 Kansas St.
#9 (9): Wisconsin (22-4, 12-2), 2302.8
The Badgers pulled off a couple of good, but not really impressive wins last week, and will be much harder pressed to beat Ohio St. and Michigan St. this week. Should they do that, though, they get two easy games down the stretch, so the Big Ten season really hangs on what kind of week Wisconsin has.
Last week: W v. #112 Minnesota 65-56, W @ #157 Illinois 71-57
This week: S @ #69 Ohio St., R v. #33 Michigan St.
#8 (8): UCLA (23-3, 11-2), 2309.9
A good rematch win at USC got the Bruins back on track, but they have five potential losses left on their schedule, including an Arizona swing. Still, they should be favoured in every game, and look set to reclaim a top 4 spot.
Last week: W @ #46 Southern California 56-46, W v. #311 Oregon St. 84-49
This week: S v. #94 Oregon, R @ #90 Arizona St.
#7 (6): Butler (25-2, 14-2), 2311.1
Butler still do not have sole possession of the conference title set, but can seal it with a game against their pursuers from Wright St. this week. The focus, however, has got to be on the high-profile game with fellow mid-major Drake, a game that will be critical for NCAA seeding.
Last week: W v. #110 Cleveland St. 51-46, W @ #162 Illinois Chicago 51-46
This week: S v. #15 Drake, R v. #51 Wright St.
#6 (1): Duke (22-3, 10-2), 2320.7
Back to back losses send Duke plummeting in the rankings, and while the decisive Wake loss really does hurt, the Miami one is not nearly so bad. Still, this is the lowest Duke have been in 2008, and they will now need to beat Carolina in the season ender to have any hope of a #1 seed.
Last week: L @ #53 Wake Forest 73-86, L @ #60 Miami FL 95-96
This week: S v. #221 St. John’s, W v. #123 Georgia Tech
#5 (7): Xavier (23-4, 11-1), 2327.3
The Musketeers reached an 8 game winning streak by edging Rhode Island on the road and just demolishing Duquesne. They travel to Dayton this week, but the Flyers’ form is poor enough they should win. The real tough trip will be to St. Joe’s next week. One more win will guarantee them at least a share of a conference title.
Last week: W @ #49 Rhode Island 81-77, W v. #82 Duquesne 75-48
This week: U @ #98 Dayton
#4 (4): Kansas (24-2, 9-2), 2337.1
Kansas cruised last week, and should again cruise through their two games this week. Only Kansas St. seem to stand between the Jayhawks and at least a share of the Big 12 title.
Last week: W v. #224 Colorado 69-45
This week: S @ #124 Oklahoma St., W @ #151 Iowa St.
#3 (5): Tennessee (24-2, 11-1), 2338.9
Tennessee have a huge, defining game at Memphis this weekend, as a win would make them a clear #1 team in the nation. Even a close loss wouldn’t hurt much, so it looks like it’s all to gain for the Vols. They still have a challenge for the conference title, and travelling to Vandy is a trip that could cause them trouble.
Last week: W @ #160 Georgia 74-71, W v. #159 Auburn 89-70
This week: S @ #1 Memphis, T @ #27 Vanderbilt
#2 (3): North Carolina (25-2, 10-2), 2365.4
Duke’s disastrous week has reopened the conference fight, and provided they can survive the Wake team that beat Duke, the season finale will determine the ACC champion.
Last week: W v. #92 Virginia Tech 92-53, W @ #135 North Carolina St. 84-70
This week: U v. #53 Wake Forest
#1 (2): Memphis (26-0, 12-0), 2396.6
Memphis barely survived at UAB, thanks to a late rally, and look set for a perfect conference record, but the perfect regular season will be strongly challenged with Tennessee’s visit. UAB do appear on the Tigers’ schedule again, so perfection cannot be assumed quite yet.
Last week: W @ #43 UAB 79-78, W @ #141 Tulane 97-71
This week: S v. #3 Tennessee, W v. #95 Tulsa
Friday, February 22nd, 2008
#25 (NR): Gonzaga (21-6, 10-1), 2223.3
The road win at San Diego is better than it may look to a casual observer, but they are likely to drop back out of the top 25 with only a single game against Portland this week.
Last week: W @ #305 San Francisco 83-63, W @ #128 San Diego 59-55
This week: M @ #313 Portland
#24 (NR): Marquette (19-6, 9-5), 2227.3
A three game winning streak, including a demolition of Pitt, was enough to pull the Eagles ahead of the massive Big East bunch around .500, and they should be able to seal an 11 win season with games against Rutgers and Villanova left. Still, 3 of their last 4 games are on the road, so it could be tough.
Last week: W v. #45 Pittsburgh 72-54, W @ #221 St. John’s 73-64
This week: S v. #248 Rutgers, M @ #75 Villanova
#23 (NR): Stephen F. Austin (22-3, 10-2), 2234.3
I’m still concerned that a team that may not win the 19th ranked conference is this highly placed, but that’s what the numbers say. A huge win against Sam Houston St. pushed them over the edge into the top 25, but the remainder of their games are so weak that they won’t get much benefit, and could easily drop right back out.
Last week: W @ #209 Northwestern St. 67-59, W v. #96 Sam Houston St. 79-57
This week: W @ #234 Texas St.
#22 (NR): St. Mary’s (23-3, 10-1), 2238.3
Another WCC team moves into the rankings, and though St. Mary’s road wins this week were against fairly weak opponents, they were by huge margins. A Saturday game with the MAC leaders Kent St. will be a fascinating and fun encounter, but I think the Gaels’ home advantage will be enough.
Last week: W @ #336 Loyola Marymount 80-49, W @ #255 Pepperdine 100-64
This week: S v. #29 Kent St., M v. #128 San Diego
#21 (16): Purdue (21-6, 12-2), 2244.2
Purdue are still tied for the Big Ten lead, but are sitting further back in the rankings after their loss at Indiana. They should go at worst 3-1 coming home, but their game at Ohio St. will be an interesting test to see if they are really bonafide potential champions.
Last week: W @ #269 Northwestern 71-56, L @ #17 Indiana 68-77
This week: W v. #112 Minnesota, S v. #269 Northwestern
#20 (18): Davidson (20-6, 18-0), 2249.4
The last hurdle to an undefeated Davidson season will be their last game at Georgia Southern. Until then, they have to face a non-conference challenge at a pretty solid Winthrop team.
Last week: W v. #290 Furman 86-51, @ v. #118 NC Greensboro 75-66
This week: F @ #63 Winthrop, W v. #125 Appalachian St.
#19 (NR): Brigham Young (21-5, 10-1), 2250.5
BYU are back in the rankings for the first time since December. While I don’t think that much of the Cougars, there is something to be said about being 10-1 in the MWC, and excellent wins over serious challengers like UNLV and Utah are testimony to their strength. Two trips to SDSU and New Mexico will be their last real challenges, as their three last games should be walks.
Last week: W v. #41 Nevada Las Vegas 74-48, W v. #76 Utah 67-59
This week: S @ #101 San Diego St., T @ #31 New Mexico
#18 (22): Washington St. (21-5, 9-5), 2254.3
After a three game losing streak that had them at 5-5 and reeling, the Cougars got back on track by beating bubble level teams in Oregon and Arizona St. A similar win is possible against Arizona, but even 2-2 from here should be enough to keep them in the rankings. I think 3-1 is probably a more reasonable explanation, and they’ll end up as a solid #3 in the Pac-10.
Last week: W @ #94 Oregon 62-53, W v. #90 Arizona St. 59-47
This week: S v. #62 Arizona, R @ #111 California
#17 (23): Indiana (22-4, 11-2), 2259.8
Indiana are still very much in the race for the Big Ten title, and with only one tough game at Michigan St. left, the possibility of a 15-2 finish is definitely there. Consecutive wins over the Spartans and Purdue, while the Kelvin Sampson scandal surrounds them, really speak well to this team.
Last week: W v. #33 Michigan St. 80-61, W v. #21 Purdue 77-68
This week: S @ #269 Northwestern, T v. #69 Ohio St.
#16 (17): Notre Dame (20-5, 10-3), 2262.4
Notre Dame kept themselves tied for the Big East lead by beating Pitt fairly handily, though they just snuck by Rutgers. Their last three are creampuffs, so if they can beat Louisville, they should earn at least a share.
Last week: W @ #248 Rutgers 71-68, W v. #45 Pittsburgh 82-70
This week: U v. #72 Syracuse, R @ #11 Louisville
#15 (11): Drake (23-3, 14-2), 2262.9
Now that they’ve sealed a conference title, the Bulldogs seem to have eased up a little, but that will be tested severely when they travel to Butler this week. Their remaining conference games shouldn’t be too tough, so they should finish at 16-2, but they can’t afford to keep their current form.
Last week: W @ #167 Northern Iowa 65-55, L v. #84 Bradley 71-72
This week: S @ #7 Butler, T @ #182 Missouri St.
Thursday, February 21st, 2008
Games featuring two teams in the conversation for an at-large (top 70 in my bracket rankings)
Today
UMass @ Rhode Island
UMass have a pretty distant chance, and would have to win out, as this is their last really tough game. Rhode Island are a 10 seed right now, but a loss here could really give them a load of trouble.
Pittsburgh @ Notre Dame
Notre Dame are a 5 right now, but could make a good move up with home games against Pitt and Syracuse. Once ND get past Louisville next Thursday, they’ll basically be done with hard games until the conference tournament. Pitt have a tougher road, as an 8 currently, but with 5 games coming up against solid opposition, they need to come through at absolute worst 3-2, or risk dropping out of the bracket.
South Alabama @ Western Kentucky
WKU are a 10, while USA are an 11, so the battle is quite close. You’d have to think that the winner of this game would be in and the loser out, but a close (1 or 2 point) road loss for USA might be tough to knock them out on. If the same team manages to win this game and the conference tourney final, there will be no question, but if not, I’m not sure yet.
Arizona St. @ Washington St.
The thing about the Pac-10 is that each team has a number of potential bubble games ahead, so no game yet is really decisive. Still, Arizona St. are slipping away from a bid, and this is a chance to get back on track. The Cougars, on the other hand, have a real chance to move back into a 3 if they can get some momentum going, including a win here.
Oregon @ Southern California
A similar caveat to the above game, and a similar story, as Oregon are just on the outside, while USC sit as a 9. Oregon will have more chances, but I’m not sure 2-2 against USC, UCLA and the Arizona schools, their remaining schedule, will cut it, so a win here is critical. USC have 5 big games left, so it’s hard to say anything definitive.
Last Night:
UAB 101, Houston 99 @ UAB
This game was close enough that Houston didn’t drop all the way out, nor did UAB move all the way in. However, both are now right on the fringe, and another Houston loss to anyone but Memphis the rest of the way could end their hopes.
Mississippi 74, Mississippi St. 63 @ Mississippi
Mississippi did a good job to pull out a double digit home win, pulling themselves into the conversation and dropping MSSU down to a 9 seed.
BYU 67, Utah 59 @ BYU
BYU held serve well, and while they didn’t gain, they prevented any Utah charge.
Miami 96, Duke 95 @ Miami
A one point road loss means Duke is still a #1, but just barely. Miami pulled themselves into a somewhat safe position, but they are still a below .500 conference team who could undo all this if they go worse than 4-1 from here on.
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
Games featuring two teams in the conversation for an at-large (top 70 in my bracket rankings)
Houston @ UAB
I have Houston as an 11 seed, and UAB 7 teams away from an at-large bid. A UAB win might be enough to drop the Cougars out, though a narrow win might not be enough to push UAB all the way in. A Houston win ends UAB’s hopes and probably locks Houston’s spot, as long as they at least make the CUSA tourney final (barring unexpected losses)
Mississippi St. @ Mississippi
The cross-state battle features a team that’s well out in the Rebels, and an 8 seed in Mississippi St. Mississippi are only barely in consideration, and basically will need to run the table to have a shot. Mississippi St. has only road bubble games left, with games in Nashville and Gainesville along with this game, so a loss here would make it difficult for them to make any upward progress.
Utah @ Brigham Young
Utah are pretty clearly out, while BYU are a 7 seed by my rankings. Still, the Utes are on a four game win streak, and beating BYU and New Mexico could really shakeup the race. Mostly, I’m hoping that the MWC will shake out a little so that it loses the third bid I have given it, which I don’t believe it can get on Selection Sunday. A BYU win would help that spreading out to happen.
Duke @ Miami FL
One of those tough games. Duke are still a number 1 seed, and are actually the #2 team overall. Miami, on the other hand, are a 12, and one of the last teams in. A loss can’t seriously hurt the Hurricanes, and with their next two games against Maryland and Clemson, they will have chances for other bubble wins. Still, a win here would place Miami in a position where they would have to blow their chance. Duke can’t move to #1 with a win here, but they can probably drop to a 2 seed with a loss.
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
Again: Teams in the top 25 of the AP or ESPN/USA Today poll won't be counted, though I will mention them at the end.
1. Davidson – Southern (20-6, 18-0), (#17, #5 MM, LW #5 MM)
Three wins, including their closest conference game of the season at NC Greensboro, have locked up the conference title for the Wildcats. They have a BracketBuster game at Winthrop this week, but that’s not as tough a game this year as it would have been last year. Still, a loss will sink their seeding in the tournament that much further, provided they get through the SoCon tourney.
Last week: W @ #127 NC Greensboro 83-78, W v. #284 Furman 86-51, W v. #127 NC Greensboro 83-78
This week: F @ #73 Winthrop
2. Brigham Young – Mountain West (20-5, 9-1), (#21, #6 MM, LW #11 MM)
The demolition that BYU put down on UNLV was pretty absurd, and vaulted the Cougars way up the rankings. There are three more interesting games this week, with Utah, SDSU and New Mexico. If BYU makes it through those 2-1, they should have the conference title wrapped up.
Last week: W @ #316 Colorado St. 79-65, W v. #46 Nevada Las Vegas 74-48
This week: W v. #63 Utah, S @ #96 San Diego St., T @ #40 New Mexico
3. Western Kentucky – Sun Belt (21-5, 13-1), (#22, #7 MM, LW #7 MM)
The last test for the Hilltoppers is Thursday night, when USA come to town. If Western Kentucky can hold serve in the home encounter, they should breeze through their last three games, and seal the conference title.
Last week: W v. #275 Troy 92-57, W @ #169 Middle Tennessee 71-66
This week: R v. #33 South Alabama, S v. #265 Louisiana Monroe
4. Gonzaga – West Coast (21-6, 10-1), (#24, #8 MM, LW #13 MM)
The Zags only barely survived a good challenge from San Diego, but should have an easier time in their only game this week at Portland. With only the one game, expect them to lose some ground.
Last week: W @ #304 San Francisco 83-63, W @ #125 San Diego 59-55
This week: M @ #312 Portland
5. Stephen F. Austin – Southland (21-3, 9-2), (#27, #10 MM, LW #13 MM)
The Lumberjacks still don’t have the conference lead, and may very well end up being the #2 seed in the Southland tournament, but they will have their last major test this week when they host Sam Houston St. A win here will put them on course to finish 5-0, and put leaders Lamar under a load of pressure.
Last week: W v. #257 Central Arkansas 57-43, W @ #226 Northwestern St. 67-59
This week: R v. #77 Sam Houston St.
6. Kent St. – Mid-American (18-5, 7-1), (#30, #11 MM, LW #17 MM)
Kent St. continue to cruise in the MAC beating a good Ohio team and crushing Buffalo. A trip to St. Mary’s for a BracketBuster game this week will likely result in a loss, but they have 3 conference games left to bounce back.
Last week: W v. #87 Ohio 72-62, W @ #293 Buffalo 76-66
This week: S @ #23 St. Mary’s
7. Robert Morris – Mountain West (19-5, 8-2), (#32, #12 MM, LW #21 MM)
The Colonials went on the road and picked up two wins, but still find themselves in a dogfight for the conference lead. They have games against both of their competitors, Wagner and Sacred Heart in the next two weeks, games that will determine the NEC champion.
Last week: W @ #155 Central Connecticut 80-74, W @ #330 St. Francis NY 73-65
This week: R v. #148 Mount St. Mary’s, S v. #82 Wagner
8. South Alabama – Sun Belt (21-5, 13-2), (#33, #13 MM, LW #8 MM)
USA suffered their second conference loss at Middle Tennessee, and it may be enough to end their hopes of winning the conference. They will get a chance to earn a tie on the top with their trip to Western Kentucky this week.
Last week: L @ #169 Middle Tennessee 70-76, W v. #196 Florida Atlantic 91-74
This week: R @ #22 Western Kentucky, M v. #318 Presbyterian
9. Oral Roberts – Summit (19-6, 14-1), (#34, #14 MM, LW #16 MM)
They moved up despite a loss, as the three point loss at a good IUPUI team was not enough to drop them much, and other teams above fell past them. A game with Creighton this weekend should be a good test of how legitimate this team is.
Last week: L @ #41 IUPUI 66-69, W v. #259 Southern Utah 71-62
This week: R v. #306 Missouri Kansas City, S v. #74 Creighton
10. Houston – Conference USA (19-5, 8-2), (#35, #15 MM, LW #15 MM)
Another team that lost but didn’t move, as the loss to Memphis did very little damage. A true test of the Cougars will come against UAB tonight.
Last week: L @ #1 Memphis 59-68, W v. #272 Southern Methodist
This week: W @ #54 UAB, S v. #333 Rice
11. Virginia Commonwealth – Colonial (19-6, 12-3), (#37, #16 MM, LW #10 MM)
12. Rhode Island – Atlantic 10 (20-6, 6-5), (#39, #17 MM, LW #6 MM)
13. New Mexico – Mountain West (20-6, 7-4), (#40, #18 MM, LW #25 MM)
14. IUPUI – Summit (21-5, 13-2), (#41, #19 MM, LW #22 MM)
15. Nevada Las Vegas – Mountain West (19-6, 8-3), (#46, #12 MM, LW #20 MM)
16. Cornell – Ivy (16-5, 8-0), (#48, #21 MM, LW NR)
17. Boise St. – Western Athletic (19-6, 10-3), (#49, #22 MM, LW NR)
18. Cal St. Fullerton – Big West (17-7, 10-3), (#51, #23 MM, LW NR)
19. Saint Joseph’s – Atlantic 10 (16-8, 7-4), (#52, #24 MM, LW #20 MM)
20. UAB – Conference USA (17-8, 7-3), (#54, #25 MM, LW #23 MM)
Not included because in polls:
Memphis – Conference USA (25-0, 11-0), (#1, #1 MM (LW #1 MM), #1 AP/ESPN)
Xavier – Atlantic 10 (22-4, 10-1), (#6, #2 MM (LW #4 MM), #10 AP, #12 ESPN)
Butler – Horizon (24-2, 13-2), (#8, #3 MM (LW #3 MM), #8 AP, #8 ESPN)
Drake – Missouri Valley (23-3, 14-2), (#15, #4 MM (LW #2 MM), #16 AP, #18 ESPN)
St. Mary’s – West Coast (23-3, 10-1), (#23, #8 MM (LW #9 MM), #23 AP, #20 ESPN)
Dropped out: Rider (18-9, 11-5), Creighton (18-8, 9-7), George Mason (18-8, 10-5)
Friday, February 15th, 2008
#14 (14): Connecticut (19-5, 9-3), 2263.4
Connecticut did well in winning their two home games this week, including a solid win over Notre Dame. I wouldn’t surprise me to see them finish conference play without losing again, though they do have some kinda tough games coming up.
Last week: W v. #106 Georgia Tech 80-68, W v. #17 Notre Dame 84-78
This week: S @ #208 South Florida, T v. #196 DePaul
#13 (8): Stanford (20-4, 9-3), 2273.5
Stanford had a chance to seize the conference lead by a half a game, but fell by four at Arizona St. The Cardinal’s road trip isn’t over yet, as they still have a tough trip to Arizona this week. Fortunately for them, they’ll get a full week off after that.
Last week: W v. #292 Oregon St. 71-56, L @ #58 Arizona St. 68-72
This week: S @ #43 Arizona
#12 (15): Louisville (19-6, 9-3), 2273.6
Louisville have done a good job to step up in the Big East, and punctuated that this week with a good win at home against Georgetown. They should beat Providence and Syracuse this week, but their game with Pitt coming up soon will be interesting.
Last week: W v. #10 Georgetown 59-51, W @ #196 DePaul 88-68
This week: S @ #131 Providence, M v. #82 Syracuse
#11 (7): Drake (22-2, 13-1), 2275.5
Southern Illinois dealt the first conference loss to the Bulldogs, and it was enough to take them out of the top 10. Drake must recover on the road at Northern Iowa, and host Bradley. Still, if they can pull a win in either game, they can head into the BracketBusters game with Butler as confirmed MVC champs.
Last week: W v. #241 Evansville 73-65, L @ #107 Southern Illinois 62-65
This week: S @ #139 Northern Iowa, T v. #133 Bradley
#10 (9): Georgetown (20-3, 10-2), 2278.1
Georgetown lost to a team that’s made up some ground in Louisville, but held on against Villanova to get at least some part of a bounce back. They travel to both Syracuse and Providence this week in two games they should win, but the real test looks like games against Marquette and Louisville to finish the season.
Last week: L @ #12 Louisville 51-59, W v. #125 Villanova 55-53
This week: S @ #82 Syracuse, M @ #131 Providence
#9 (10): Wisconsin (20-4, 10-2), 2280.6
Wisconsin’s home loss to Purdue was at least somewhat ameliorated by a win in Indiana, and they should be able to keep the momentum with games against Minnesota and Illinois this week.
Last week: L v. #16 Purdue 67-72, W @ #23 Indiana 68-66
This week: S v. #109 Minnesota, W @ #136 Illinois
#8 (5): UCLA (21-3, 9-2), 2284.8
A surprising 10 point loss at Wisconsin dropped the Bruins out of the top 5 in the county. They have to recover quickly, with a game at USC, the only other conference team to beat them this year.
Last week: L @ #134 Washington 61-71
This week: U @ #51 Southern California, R v. #292 Oregon St.
#7 (11): Xavier (21-4, 9-1), 2294.8
The Musketeers did a good job to extend their conference lead by just edgeing past St. Joe’s, and just survived a tough game at Charlotte. Their last three games are all wins by less than 5, so they aren’t winning by much recently. They’ll have a tough trip to Rhode Island and a good Duquesne team coming to Cincinnati this week,
Last week: W v. #45 Saint Joseph’s 76-72, W @ #104 Charlotte 62-60
This week: M @ #32 Rhode Island, R v. #54 Duquesne
#6 (12): Butler (23-2, 12-2), 2296.0
After spending a month in the 9-12 range, Butler break back into the top 6 with solid wins against UWGB and UWM. Beating Cleveland St. this week will all seal the Horizon title for the Bulldogs, and hosting Drake will give them a good chance to get a resume-boosting win.
Last week: W @ #148 Wisconsin Green Bay 62-57, W @ #152 Wisconsin Milwaukee 83-75, W v. #282 Youngstown St. 89-73
This week: S v. #113 Cleveland St., W @ #145 Illinois Chicago
#5 (6): Tennessee (22-2, 9-1), 2325.0
Tennesee have stepped up into the national elite, even though they barely survived a game at LSU this week. Their solid beatdown on Arkansas is the latest in a very good looking six game winning streak. They should add to that this week with Georgia and Auburn on the schedule, and the game coming up at Memphis is easily the best chance for someone to drop the Tigers during the regular season.
Last week: W @ #213 Louisiana St. 47-45, W v. #37 Arkansas 93-71
This week: S @ #141 Georgia, W v. #199 Auburn
#4 (3): Kansas (23-2, 8-2), 2331.8
Kansas weren’t able to hold their spot ahead of UNC, as they lost a tough, but close game against Texas, and the Jayhawks now find themselves in a dogfight atop the Big 12. They should be able to win their next three, including their only game this week.
Last week: W v. #64 Baylor 100-90, L @ #15 Texas 72-69
This week: S v. #200 Colorado
#3 (4): North Carolina (23-2, 8-2), 2342.5
The Tar Heels just barely survived a trip to Virginia, but did survive, and combined with their win over a solid Clemson team, made a slight move upwards. Virginia Tech and NC St. should be wins this week.
Last week: W v. #21 Clemson 103-93, W @ #204 Virginia 75-74
This week: S v. #95 Virginia Tech, W @ #114 North Carolina St.
#2 (2): Memphis (24-0, 10-0), 2370.9
The toughest hurdle left to a perfect conference for the Tigers is this week, as they travel to UAB. Houston fought hard, but couldn’t keep with Memphis in the second half, so the Blazers are C-USA’s last hope. The game with Tennessee will be a good one, but Memphis cannot look past UAB.
Last week: W v. #127 Central Florida 85-64, W v. #41 Houston 68-59
This week: S @ #52 UAB, W @ #111 Tulane
#1 (1): Duke (22-1, 10-0), 2382.8
The Blue Devils had no letdown after moving into the #1 spot, beating BC and Maryland pretty handily. They have to head out on the road for the next two games, against Wake and Miami, both teams that could cause problems, but that Duke should win.
Last week: W v. #128 Boston College 90-80, W v. #49 Maryland 77-65
This week: U @ #77 Wake Forest, W @ #84 Miami FL
Friday, February 15th, 2008
#25 (17): Michigan St. (20-4, 8-3), 2213.7
The Spartans have hit a rough spot in the last couple of weeks, having lost 2 out of 3, though the loss at Purdue isn’t a bad one. Still, this is a team that is below .500 on the road in conference play, and will need to pull it together on Saturday in Indiana.
Last week: W v. #261 Northwestern 70-55, L @ #16 Purdue 54-60
This week: S @ #23 Indiana, W v. #197 Penn St.
#24 (NR): Virginia Commonwealth (19-5, 12-2), 2215.2
This is a return to the polls for VCU, who dropped out after losing at George Mason but have gradually built themselves back with 4 straight wins. Old Dominion and Northeastern are decent opponents this week, and a trip to Akron is a reasonable BracketBusters draw.
Last week: W @ #206 Delaware 83-73. W v. #243 James Madison 75-56
This week: S v. #142 Old Dominion, W @ #118 Northeastern
#23 (22): Indiana (20-4, 9-2), 2216.5
Indiana started their four game stretch against the conference’s best teams at 1-1, winning in Columbus, but losing at home to Wisconsin. They have two home games against Michigan St. and Purdue, and those games will have a huge impact on the race for the conference title.
Last week: W @ #53 Ohio St. 59-53, L v. #9 Wisconsin 66-68
This week: S v. #25 Michigan St., T v. #16 Purdue
#22 (NR): Washington St. (19-5, 7-5), 2218.2
After a disastrous three game home stand against California teams, a beatdown against USC to end the California march to Pullman moves the Cougars back into the top 25. They also won the first half of their Oregon trip, but still have the harder second leg in Eugene. Wins over Oregon and Arizona St. would go a long way to setting WSU up as the third-place team in the Pac-10.
Last week: W v. #51 Southern California 74-50, W @ #292 Oregon St. 70-27
This week: S @ #63 Oregon, R v. #58 Arizona St.
#21 (20): Clemson (18-6, 6-4), 2219.9
It’s interesting that Clemson are right in the midst of the ACC standings, but are a clear 3rd in these rankings. Part of the reason is that road losses to Duke and NC don’t hurt, and that their other losses are at home to UNC by 2 and in Miami by 3. They should be able to solidify their number 3 spot with games at NC St. and Florida St. this week.
Last week: L @ #3 North Carolina 93-103, W v. #106 Georgia Tech 82-67
This week: S @ #114 North Carolina St., T @ #130 Florida St.
#20 (18): Western Kentucky (20-5, 12-1), 2226.4
The Hilltoppers won their only game this week, but still dropped somewhat. Their matchup with South Alabama has been tarnished a little by USA’s recent loss, but it is likely the game that will determine the Sun Belt’s regular season champion.
Last week: W v. #265 Troy 92-57
This week: S @ #155 Middle Tennessee St., R v. #42 South Alabama
#19 (21): Texas A&M (20-4, 6-3), 2234.2
The Aggies beat two of the conference’s bottom half teams, and while they should pick up a sixth straight win against Oklahoma St., a trip to Texas will not be so easy. A win would put A&M right in the centre of the fight for the conference lead.
Last week: W @ #175 Iowa St. 69-51, S @ #92 Missouri 77-69
This week: S v. #149 Oklahoma St., M @ #15 Texas
#18 (24): Davidson (18-6, 16-0), 2237.1
OK, so Davidson probably aren’t really a top 20 team in the nation. However, their good win at one of their top-half opponents in NC Greensboro actually did give them a solid boost. I expect them to come back a little with two home games this week. Winthrop is a solid BracketBusters draw by my rankings, but probably not good for their seeding.
Last week: W v. #180 College of Charleston 81-56, W @ #151 NC Greensboro 83-78
This week: S v. #299 Furman, T v. #151 NC Greensboro
#17 (13): Notre Dame (18-5, 8-3), 2240.5
The Irish continued their challenge for a second place spot in the conference, but did take a hit by dropping a game at Connecticut. Still, the 6-point road loss doesn’t really hurt, and the benefited from beating Marquette earlier in the week. A trip to Rutgers should be a win, and a home game with Pitt should be a good chance for Notre Dame to gain some ground.
Last week: W v. #39 Marquette 86-83, L @ #14 Connecticut 78-84
This week: U @ #240 Rutgers, R v. #34 Pittsburgh
#16 (25): Purdue (20-5, 11-1), 2253.9
Wins at Wisconsin and against Michigan St. have suddenly made the Boilermakers the Big 10 leader, and deservedly so. They will have a chance to test themselves as they travel to Indiana this week.
Last week: W @ #9 Wisconsin 72-67, W v. #25 Michigan St. 60-54
This week: S @ #261 Northwestern, T @ #23 Indiana
#15 (16): Texas (20-4, 7-2), 2259.0
Despite a great win over Kansas that throws the Big 12 into a three way tie, the Longhorns weren’t able to crack the top 10, and actually didn’t move much from last week. Part of the reason for this was that the win was by 3 at home, and the rest is that they haven’t played since then. They have to avoid a letdown at Baylor, and also have Texas A&M, and Oklahoma waiting for them.
Last week: W @ #175 Iowa St. 71-65, W v. #4 Kansas 72-69
This week: S @ #64 Baylor, M v. #19 Texas A&M
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008
Again: Teams in the top 25 of the AP or ESPN/USA Today poll won't be counted, though I will mention them at the end.
1. Davidson – Southern (17-6, 15-0), (#21, #5 MM, LW #6 MM)
Davidson just keep rolling, beating the College of Charleston handily. Their trip to NC Greensboro this week is their second hardest left, but I fully expect them to walk through the rest undefeated.
Last week: W v. #257 Elon 74-64, W v. #204 College of Charleston 81-56
This week: W @ #140 NC Greensboro, S v. #303 Furman, T v. #140 NC Greensboro
2. Rhode Island – Atlantic 10 (20-4, 6-3), (#22, #6 MM, LW #5 MM)
A two point loss at UMass was enough to give them a small drop down, and they just barely held on to beat a 2-6 Fordham team. Their trip to Temple is another potential loss, before the nuclear showdown at home with Xavier that may be the Rams last chance to get in the regular season title chase.
Last week: L @ #70 Massachusetts 76-78, W @ #218 Fordham 65-63
This week: W @ #93 Temple, M v. #10 Xavier
3. Western Kentucky – Sun Belt (19-5, 11-1), (#23, #7 MM, LW #8 MM)
Two pretty handy wins for the Hilltoppers, including a solid win at North Texas. Troy and Middle Tennessee shouldn’t be too hard, so Sun Belt fans should be gearing up for the WKU-USA game next week.
Last week: W v. #158 Denver 78-64, W @ #177 North Texas 94-84
This week: W v. #261 Troy, S @ #178 Middle Tennessee
4. South Alabama – Sun Belt (20-4, 12-1), (#25, #8 MM, LW #13 MM)
Two huge wins continued the Jaguars recovery from their first loss, as they beat Arkansas St. and Troy pretty easily. Their only chance for a loss in the rest of the schedule should be against Western Kentucky.
Last week: W v. #275 Arkansas St. 81-58, W @ #261 Troy 90-74
This week: R @ #178 Middle Tennessee, S v. #183 Florida Atlantic
5. Virginia Commonwealth – Colonial (18-5, 11-2), (#29, #10 MM, LW #10 MM)
VCU took care of business on the road, but don’t really seem to have any tough games left, with their trip to Akron in a couple of weeks likely being the most difficult.
Last week: W @ #292 Georgia St. 65-60, S @ #216 Delaware 83-73
This week: W v. #238 James Madison, S v. #150 Old Dominion
6. Brigham Young – Mountain West (18-5, 7-1), (#33, #11 MM, LW #7 MM)
BYU had decent wins over some weak opponents that dropped them somewhat, but they’ll get a big chance to bounce up with a game with UNLV this week.
Last week: W @ #233 Wyoming 73-63, W v. #166 Texas Christian 83-72
This week: W @ #312 Colorado St., S v. #34 Nevada Las Vegas
7. Nevada Las Vegas – Mountain West (19-5, 8-2), (#34, #12 MM, LW #14 MM)
The showdown with the aforementioned Cougars should be loads of fun. They also picked up a cople of pretty comfortable wins, but are coming off a loss at Utah, so they have to hope for better from this Utah trip.
Last week: L @ #75 Utah 73-81, W v. #312 Colorado St. 68-51, W v. #175 Air Force 58-51
This week: S @ #33 Brigham Young
8. Stephen F. Austin – Southland (19-3, 7-2), (#36, #13 MM, LW #11 MM)
Another team that breezed through the week, Stephen F. Austin are a team that actually don’t lead their conference. They are a half game behind Lamar, and will not get another chance at the Cardinals this year. They’ll have to make do with beating Central Arkansas and Northwestern St. this week.
Last week: W @ #267 Texas A&M Corpus Christi 71-62, W v. #297 Texas San Antonio 60-39
This week: W v. #236 Central Arkansas, S @ #244 Northwestern St.
9. Gonzaga – West Coast (19-6, 8-1), (#37, #14 MM, LW #15 MM)
Two easy wins over weak opponents brought the Zags back after their first loss. A three game road trip is never good, but Gonzaga should easily come through all three, two this week.
Last week: W v. #253 Pepperdine 101-59, W v. #332 Loyola Marymount 83-50
This week: S @ #313 San Francisco, M @ #120 San Diego
10. Houston – Conference USA (18-4, 7-1), (#39, #15 MM, LW #20 MM)
A couple more wins for the Cougars have got them to a pretty good record, and they get a chance to pull a big upset in Memphis this week. Perhaps the more important game is next week at UAB, which is looking like a potential showdown for a tournament spot.
Last week: W v. #123 Tulsa 92-81, W @ #108 Tulane 66-56
This week: W @ #2 Memphis, S v. #259 Southern Methodist
11. Oral Roberts – Summit (17-5, 12-0), (#40, #16 MM, LW #18 MM)
12. Kent St. – Mid-American (20-5, 9-2), (#41, #17 MM, LW #19 MM)
13. Rider – Metro Atlantic (18-7, 11-3), (#43, #18 MM, LW #9 MM)
14. Creighton – Missouri Valley (17-6, 8-5), (#45, #19 MM, LW #23 MM)
15. Saint Joseph’s – Atlantic 10 (15-7, 6-3), (#47, #20 MM, LW #16 MM)
16. Robert Morris – Northeast (19-6, 10-2), (#48, #21 MM, LW #24 MM)
17. IUPUI – Summit (19-5, 11-2), (#52, #22 MM, LW NR)
18. UAB – Conference USA (16-7, 6-2), (#54, #23 MM, LW NR)
19. George Mason – Colonial (17-7, 9-4), (#55, #24 MM, LW #17 MM)
20. New Mexico – Mountain West (18-6, 5-4), (#56, #25 MM, LW NR)
Not included because in polls:
Memphis – Conference USA (23-0, 9-0), (#2, #1 MM (LW #1 MM), #1 AP/ESPN)
Drake – Missouri Valley (22-1, 13-0), (#6, #2 MM (LW #2 MM), #14 AP, #15 ESPN)
Butler – Horizon (22-2, 11-2), (#8, #3 MM (LW #3 MM), #9 AP, #10 ESPN)
Xavier – Atlantic 10 (20-4, 8-1), (#10, #4 MM (LW #4 MM), #12 AP, #13 ESPN)
St. Mary’s – West Coast (21-3, 8-1), (#26, #9 MM (LW #12 MM), #25 AP, #21 ESPN)
Dropped out: Boise St. (17-6, 8-3), NC Asheville (18-5, 7-1), Dayton (16-6, 4-5)
Friday, February 8th, 2008
#14 (19): Connecticut (17-5, 7-3), 2236.1
The Huskies continued on a 6 game winning streak, beating both Pitt and Syracuse, setting themselves right in the race for the regular season title. They have a non-conference game with a Georgia Tech team they should beat before hosting another competitor in Notre Dame.
Last week: W v. #38 Pittsburgh 60-53, W @ #62 Syracuse 63-61
This week: S v. #84 Georgia Tech, W v. #13 Notre Dame
#13 (22): Notre Dame (17-4, 7-2), 2247.0
The Fighting Irish showed some good road form in easily beating Seton Hall, but get two big tests in Marquette and UConn this week, and will be hard pressed to hold their spot.
Last week: W v. #186 DePaul 89-80, W @ #82 Seton Hall 95-69
This week: S v. #54 Marquette, W @ #14 Connecticut
#12 (12): Butler (20-2, 9-2), 2267.4
The Bulldogs made a grand charge from well behind to win at Valpo, and have a tough road trip to Wisconsin this week, facing two teams tied for third in the conference.
Last week: W v. #165 Illinois Chicago 73-57,
This week: S @ #118 Wisconsin Green Bay, M @ #143 Wisconsin Milwaukee, R v. #276 Youngstown St.
#11 (11): Xavier (19-4, 7-1), 2273.2
Xavier did their business against La Salle and St. Louis, and there are a couple of interesting games coming up against St. Joe’s and Charlotte this week. A win against Charlotte would put them a full two games clear atop the conference.
Last week: W v. #167 La Salle 75-62, W @ #155 St. Louis 70-68
This week: U v. #43 Saint Joseph’s, W @ #105 Charlotte
#10 (13): Wisconsin (19-3, 9-1), 2289.1
Iowa and Minnesota weren’t hard wins, but going on the road in the Big Ten is never easy. Hosting Purdue and travelling to Indiana will make for a much tougher week, but coming through with a couple of wins would make them the clear leaders.
Last week: W @ #73 Minnesota 63-47, W @ #159 Iowa 60-54
This week: S v. #25 Purdue, W @ #22 Indiana
#9 (6): Georgetown (19-2, 9-1), 2293.7
The Hoyas beat a decent Seton Hall team pretty handily, and will travel to Louisville this week in a game that will determine if Georgetown becomes a dominant leader or just another team in the mess.
Last week: W v. #82 Seton Hall 73-61, W v. #219 South Florida 63-53
This week: S @ #15 Louisville, M v. #137 Villanova
#8 (8): Stanford (19-3, 8-2), 2294.2
Stanford just edged Washington St. before coming home to embarrass Oregon, but don’t move up in the rankings, something that they likely won’t change next week, even with a game at Arizona St.
Last week: W @ #42 Washington St. 67-65, R v. #104 Oregon 72-43
This week: S v. #284 Oregon St., R @ #87 Arizona St.
#7 (7): Drake (21-1, 12-0), 2298.9
The Bulldogs saw off two solid road challenges, from Indiana and Illinois St., and with the combination of one more win and one more Illinois St. loss will earn Drake at least a share of a conference title.
Last week: W @ #196 Indiana St. 83-77, W @ #66 Illinois St. 73-70
This week: S v. #259 Evansville, W @ #115 Southern Illinois
#6 (9): Tennessee (20-2, 7-1), 2301.7
Beating Mississippi St. was a huge coup that put the Volunteers atop the conference standings, and the margin by which they beat Florida was impressive. A trip to LSU should be pretty easy, but the game at home to Arkansas, who are the #2 team in the conference, will be a huge challenge.
Last week: W @ #40 Mississippi St. 76-71, W v. #36 Florida 104-82
This week: S @ #242 Louisiana St., W v. #29 Arkansas
#5 (5): UCLA (21-2, 9-1), 2322.5
UCLA continue to be the dominant team in the Pac -10, and are slowly bridging the gap to the upper echelon, elite teams. They pulled off a good win in Pullman, and have two more legs on the road, with games at Washington and USC.
Last week: W v. #27 Arizona 82-60, R @ #42 Washington St. 67-59
This week: U @ #151 Washington
#4 (2): North Carolina (21-2, 6-2), 2325.2
The 11 point home loss to Duke really hurt, dropping the Tar Heels well back of the top 3. They won’t get much of a break with the conference’s #3 team, Clemson coming in, though they should finish the week with a win at Virginia.
Last week: W @ #111 Florida St. 84-73, L v. #1 Duke 78-89
This week: U v. #20 Clemson, T @ #179 Virginia
#3 (4): Kansas (22-1, 7-1), 2341.6
A solid, if unspectacular rebound week saw Kansas pass a falling UNC. This week will prove a lot tougher with games against Baylor and at Texas.
Last week: W @ #224 Colorado 72-59, M v. #99 Missouri 90-71
This week: S v. #44 Baylor, M @ #16 Texas
#2 (1): Memphis (22-0, 8-0), 2355.7
Again, the Tigers did nothing wrong, but simply weren’t able to gain enough points to hold off Duke. They beat Houston pretty solidly in Texas, but they are still the conference’s second best team, and could potentially pose a challenge if Memphis takes them lightly.
Last week: W v. #94 Texas El Paso 70-64, W v. #272 Southern Methodist 77-48
This week: S v. #124 Central Florida, W v. #47 Houston
#1 (3): Duke (20-1, 8-0), 2370.8
I said last week that Duke was quietly getting to number 3. Well, they’re not quite so quiet anymore, after getting a huge win in Chapel Hill. They’ve got two home games this week against BC and Maryland, and I would expect them to maintain this rank until next week.
Last week: W v. #100 Miami FL 88-73, W @ #4 North Carolina 89-78
This week: S v. #153 Boston College, W v. #53 Maryland
Friday, February 8th, 2008
#25 (NR): Purdue (18-5, 9-1), 2210.5
The joint Big Ten leaders move into the rankings for the first time, mostly just through momentum, as their games this week weren’t too stressful. This week will be a tougher test with the Boilermakers going to Wisconsin and hosting Michigan St., the only team to beat them in conference.
Last week: W @ #187 Illinois 83-75, W v. #174 Penn St. 67-53
This week: S @ #10 Wisconsin, T v. #17 Michigan St.
#24 (NR): Davidson (16-6, 14-0), 2212.7
Another first-timer on the list are the SoCon leaders, who are now reaping the benififts of their difficult schedule, which didn’t hurt them as much as a 2-6 non-conference record might have. They shouldn’t lose again, but have their toughest challenge left at NC Greensboro this week.
Last week: W @ #133 Chattanooga 78-71, W v. #288 Elon 74-64
This week: S v. #190 College of Charleston, W @ #108 NC Greensboro
#23 (18): Rhode Island (19-4, 5-3), 2212.9
Beating Dayton hasn’t been much of an achievement of late, and a loss to a UMass team that’s now .500 in conference was enough to send the Rams down. They should get two road wins this week.
Last week: W v. #60 Dayton 82-70, L @ #57 Massachusetts 76-78
This week: U @ #206 Fordham, W @ #112 Temple
#22 (23): Indiana (19-3, 8-1), 2213.6
The Hoosiers broke a two game losing streak with a couple of wins over lower level teams, though Illinois pushed them hard. This week will be much tougher, with a trip to Ohio ST. and a home game against Wisconsin.
Last week: W v. #246 Northwestern 75-63, W @ #187 Illinois 83-79
This week: U @ #50 Ohio St., W v. #10 Wisconsin
#21 (NR): Texas A&M (16-4, 5-3), 2214.6
A&M reappear in the rankings for the first time in nearly a month by racking up a four-game winning streak. Their wins in two road games, especially at Oklahoma, moved them up pretty solidly. They should win their only game of the week at Missouri.
Last week: W @ #58 Oklahoma 60-52, W @ #152 Iowa St. 69-51
This week: S @ #99 Missouri
#20 (NR): Clemson (17-5, 5-3), 2218.2
Clemson also return to the rankings, as they navigate through the tightly bunched mid-table of the ACC. Crushing Virginia by 30 at Virginia was the biggest result of the week. They’ll travel to former #1 UNC this week.
Last week: W v. #153 Boston College 78-56, W @ #179 Virginia 82-51
This week: U @ #4 North Carolina, R v. #84 Georgia Tech
#19 (15): Kansas St. (16-5, 6-1), 2218.7
The Wildcats blew their momentum from beating Kansas by losing at Missouri, but recovered to hammer Nebraska. They host Oklahoma St. and then travel to face Pat Knight’s Texas Tech this week.
Last week: L @ #99 Missouri 74-77, W v. #92 Nebraska 74-59
This week: S v. #171 Oklahoma St., W @ #110 Texas Tech
#18 (NR): Western Kentucky (19-5, 11-1), 2219.7
The Hilltoppers are the first Sun Belt team to make an appearance in the rankings, though fellow 11-1 team South Alabama are hovering. WKU has put out a 9 game winning streak, including a good win at North Texas this week. They shouldn’t lose again until their second meeting with USA, which should be really fun.
Last week: W v. #185 Denver 78-64, W @ #169 North Texas 94-84
This week: W v. #254 Troy, S @ #158 Middle Tennessee
#17 (10): Michigan St. (19-3, 7-2), 2220.2
A bad loss at Penn St. sent the Spartans falling out of the top 10, but they’ll have a chance to rebound when they travel to West Lafayette this week.
Last week: W v. #187 Illinois 51-41, L @ #174 Penn St. 76-85
This week: S v. #246 Northwestern, T @ #25 Purdue
#16 (NR): Texas(18-4, 5-2), 2226.3
Another Texas team steps back into the rankings, and does so in great style by beating Baylor and Oklahoma. Their game with Kansas will be a test of their ability to challenge for the Big 12 title.
Last week: W v. #44 Baylor 80-72, W @ #58 Oklahoma 64-54
This week: S @ #152 Iowa St., M v. #3 Kansas
#15 (NR): Louisville (17-6, 7-3), 2234.9
The revolving door on the Big East continues, with Louisville moving back into the rankings by destroying Marquette in Milwaukee. They might just drop back out , with a game against Georgetown this week.
Last week: W v. #223 Rutgers 87-50, W @ #54 Marquette 71-57
This week: S v. #9 Georgetown, T @ #186 DePaul
Thursday, February 7th, 2008
Again: Teams in the top 25 of the AP or ESPN/USA Today poll won't be counted, though I will mention them at the end.
1. Rhode Island – Atlantic 10 (19-3, 5-2), (#16, #5 MM, LW #5 MM)
Dayton are really mired in a rut, and Rhode Island did their job very well at home. They’ll have a tougher time this week with three road games, including a tough trip to UMass.
Last week: W v. #120 Richmond 78-64, W v. #58 Dayton 82-70
This week: R @ #61 Massachusetts, U @ #206 Fordham, W @ #111 Temple
2. Davidson – Southern (16-6, 14-0), (#21, #6 MM, LW #8 MM)
The Wildcats were held to their closest conference game of the season by Chattanooga, but still won by 7. Their game against at NC Greensboro looks like the SoCon’s last stand.
Last week: W v. #179 Wofford 78-65, W @ #143 Chattanooga 78-71, W v. #288 Elon 74-64
This week: S v. #214 College of Charleston, W @ #87 NC Greensboro
3. Brigham Young – Mountain West (18-5, 7-1), (#23, #7 MM, LW #20 MM)
BYU have put together a solid run over the last week, picking up a pair of solid road wins against lower tier conference teams. They have only a game at winless Colorado St. this week.
Last week: W @ #155 Air Force 69-53, W @ #219 Wyoming 73-63, W v. #186 Texas Christian 83-72
This week: W @ #315 Colorado St.
4. Western Kentucky – Sun Belt (18-5, 10-1), (#24, #8 MM, LW #11 MM)
South Alabama’s loss is the Hilltoppers’ gain, as they push into a tie for the conference lead thanks to some dominating wins over fairly weak opponents. Their trip to North Texas will be interesting, but they should handle Troy.
Last week: W v. #144 Arkansas Little Rock 71-47, W v. #202 Denver 78-64
This week: R @ #156 North Texas, W v. #243 Troy
5. Rider – Metro Atlantic (17-6, 10-2), (#29, #9 MM, LW NR)
Rider make their first appearance in the Mid-Major Rankings, having won 9 straight, including a stretch of three straight road games that included double digit wins over both Siena and Marist. After starting 1-2, the Broncs have roared to a one game lead in the MAAC. They’ll be toughly tested this week with two home games against at Niagara, who have beaten them, and Siena.
Last week: W @ #118 Marist 79-65, W @ #98 Siena 89-75
This week: F v. #96 Niagara, U v. #98 Siena
6. Virginia Commonwealth – Colonial (17-5, 10-2), (#30, #10 MM, LW #12 MM)
A decent rebound performance after losing to George Mason pushes the rams up a couple of spots. They play only a game with 9th placed James Madison this week, so will likely fall back somewhat.
Last week: W v. #241 Towson 65-42, W @ #292 Georgia St. 65-60
This week: W v. #229 James Madison
7. Stephen F. Austin – Southland (18-3, 6-2), (#31, #11 MM, LW #25 MM)
They may not have a stellar record, but their huge win at Texas-Arlington vaulted them way up the rankings. They’ll gall back with two really weak games this week.
Last week: W v. #210 Texas St. 81-63, W @ #133 Texas Arlington 71-49, W @ #264 Texas A&M Corpus Christi 71-62
This week: S v. #301 Texas San Antonio, W v. #221 Central Arkansas
8. South Alabama – Sun Belt (18-4, 10-1), (#33, #13 MM, LW #6 MM)
A first conference loss at North Texas was followed by a win at the conference’s worst team, and dropped the Jaguars down several slots. They should handle Arkansas St. and Troy easily.
Last week: L @ #156 North Texas 68-70, W @ #302 Louisiana Monroe 77-59
This week: R v. #263 Arkansas St., U @ #243 Troy
9. Nevada Las Vegas – Mountain West (17-5, 6-2), (#34, #14 MM, LW #13 MM)
A good win against New Mexico moved them up, but a dissapoiting loss in Utah handed it right back. They should cruise this week with two easy home games.
Last week: W @ #186 Texas Christian 70-58, W v. #65 New Mexico 79-60, L @ #89 Utah 73-81
This week: S v. #315 Colorado St., T v. #155 Air Force
10. Gonzaga – West Coast (17-6, 6-1), (#36, #15 MM, LW #7 MM)
A loss at St. Mary’s is nothing to be ashamed about, but it was enough to drop Gonzaga fairly toughly. Another loss before the rematch would be a big surprise.
Last week: W @ #166 Santa Clara 87-82, L @ #32 St. Mary’s 85-89
This week: S v. #269 Pepperdine, M v. #332 Loyola Marymount
11. Saint Joseph’s – Atlantic 10 (15-6, 6-2), (#39, #16 MM, LW #10 MM)
12. George Mason – Colonial (16-6, 8-3), (#43, #17 MM, LW #16 MM)
13. Oral Roberts – Summit (15-5, 10-0), (#44, #18 MM, LW #15 MM)
14. Kent St. – Mid-American (18-5, 7-2), (#46, #19 MM, LW #9 MM)
15. Houston – Conference USA (17-4, 6-1), (#47, #20 MM, LW #17 MM)
16. Boise St. – Western Athletic (16-5, 7-2), (#51, #21 MM, LW #19 MM)
17. NC Asheville – Big South (18-4, 7-0), (#54, #22 MM, LW #23 MM)
18. Creighton – Missouri Valley (16-6, 7-5), (#55, #23 MM, LW NR)
19. Robert Morris – Northeast (17-6, 8-2), (#57, #24 MM, LW NR)
20. Dayton – Atlantic 10 (16-5, 4-4), (#58, #25 MM, LW NR)
Not included because in polls:
Memphis – Conference USA (22-0, 8-0), (#2, #1 MM (LW #1 MM), #1 AP/ESPN)
Drake – Missouri Valley (21-1, 12-0), (#7, #2 MM (LW #2 MM), #15 AP/ESPN)
Butler – Horizon (20-2, 9-2), (#11, #3 MM (LW #4 MM), #10 AP, #11 ESPN)
Xavier – Atlantic 10 (18-4, 6-1), (#12, #4 MM (LW #3 MM), #13 AP, #14 ESPN)
St. Mary’s – West Coast (19-3, 6-1), (#32, #12 MM (LW #14 MM), #25 AP, #23 ESPN)
Dropped out: Illinois St. (16-7, 8-4), Duquesne (14-7, 4-4), New Mexico (17-6, 4-4), Ohio (15-7, 6-3)
Friday, February 1st, 2008
#14 (18): Florida (18-3, 5-1), 2238.7
The Gators have quietly moved into a tie for the conference lead, but their wins have come mostly against the bottom half of the league. Their trips to Arkansas and Tennessee this week will be their sternest tests to date, so they might end up dropping out of the rankings.
Last week: W @ #152 South Carolina 73-71, W v. #58 Vanderbilt 86-64
This week: S @ #45 Arkansas, T @ #9 Tennessee
#13 (6): Wisconsin (17-3, 7-1), 2251.5
The Badgers’ first conference loss came at Purdue, but they made a recovery by beating Indiana very solidly. They have two road games this week, but they are against Iowa and Minnesota, games that Wisconsin should win.
Last week: L @ #33 Purdue 56-60, W v. #23 Indiana 62-49
This week: U @ #75 Minnesota, W @ #172 Iowa
#12 (9): Butler (19-2, 8-2), 2254.3
Butler won, but two easy home games means they shift down on the week. With Cleveland St. hitting a rough spot, the Bulldogs have moved back to the Horizon League lead. They will be tested with a trip to Valpo this week, though the Crusaders are not looking as good as they did after non-conference play.
Last week: W v. #263 Loyola Chicago 63-50, W v. #176 Illinois Chicago 73-57
This week: T @ #108 Valparaiso
#11 (14): Xavier (17-4, 5-1), 2257.5
Xavier re-established themselves on top by beating both Dayton and UMass, and they’ll be rewarded with a pair of easier games this week.
Last week: W v. #56 Dayton 69-43, W @ #40 Massachusetts 77-65
This week: S v. #190 La Salle, R @ #177 St. Louis
#10 (7): Michigan St. (19-2, 7-1), 2259.3
Beating Michigan and Illinois is not really something to be too proud of, but that was the Spartan’s week. They get a weak opponent this week.
Last week: W v. #290 Michigan 77-62, W v. #161 Illinois 51-41
This week: S @ #195 Penn St.
#9 (13): Tennessee (18-2, 7-2), 2260.9
Georgia and Alabama are two below .500 conference teams, and the Vols will have a much tougher time this week with Mississippi St. and Florida as the opponents.
Last week: W v. #122 Georgia 85-69, W @ #138 Alabama 93-86
This week: S @ #27 Mississippi St., T v. #14 Florida
#8 (17): Stanford (17-3, 6-2), 2260.9
The Cardinal had a successful road trip to Cal and Washington, and are hoping to finish it up with a win against Washington St., before returning home to play a struggling Oregon team.
Last week: W @ #101 California 82-77, W @ #114 Washington 65-51
This week: S @ #17 Washington St., R v. #99 Oregon
#7 (5): Drake (19-1, 10-0), 2273.1
Drake are unbelievably still undefeated after beating Northern Iowa and Creighton. Indiana St. have fallen off recently, but their trip to face Illinois St. will be an entertaining one that should all but settle the conference race, barring a major collapse.
Last week: W v. #102 Northern Iowa 58-54, W v. #76 Creighton 75-65
This week: S @ #175 Indiana St., T @ #62 Illinois St.
#6 (11): Georgetown (17-2, 7-1), 2277.7
At least there seems like a bone fide leader in the Big East, as the Hoyas have won 4 straight games, and should take care of business this week at home.
Last week: W @ #54 West Virginia 58-57, W @ #235 St. John’s 74-42
This week: S v. #49 Seton Hall, T v. #179 South Florida
#5 (8): UCLA (19-2, 7-1), 2279.3
Arizona St. got absolutely manhandled, and now UCLA will set its sights on their in-state rivals, before travelling to face Washington St. in the week’s marquee Pac-10 game.
Last week: W @ #280 Oregon St. 85-62, W v. #78 Arizona St. 84-51
This week: S v. #16 Arizona, R @ #17 Washington St.
#4 (1): Kansas (20-1, 5-1), 2324.2
Kansas St. had a great game to make Memphis the nation’s last undefeated team, beating the Jayhawks by 9. They are fortunate to have two games against some of the weaker teams in the conference, which should help them bounce back.
Last week: W v. #92 Nebraska 84-49, L @ #15 Kansas St. 75-84
This week: S @ #209 Colorado, M v. #112 Missouri
#3 (4): Duke (18-1, 6-0), 2328.9
Duke seems to be a very quiet top 3, ACC leading team, if there is such a thing. There’s very little talk about them on the level of Kansas and Memphis, but you can’t ask any more from them than what they’ve shown, as they have a number of good non-conference wins and a very close overtime loss. They did their business again, but will have a chance to step right into the national championship discussion with a game at UNC that is clearly the game of the week.
Last week: W @ #72 Maryland 93-84, W v. #103 North Carolina St. 92-72
This week: S v. #69 Miami FL, W @ #2 North Carolina
#2 (2): North Carolina (20-1, 5-1), 2346.4
Boston College looked like a group of children in getting destroyed by the Tar Heels, but their game with Duke this week will prove to be a much sterner test.
Last week: W v. #123 Boston College 91-69
This week: U @ #128 Florida St., W v. #3 Duke
#1 (3): Memphis (20-0, 6-0), 2347.9
The Tigers move back to the top of the rankings for the first time since the first week of the season. With an easy win at Houston in the bank, you’d have to believe their only potential challenges left are games at UAB and at home against Tennessee. However, the Duke-UNC winner will likely supplant them atop the rankings next week, as there are really no big opportunities for the Tigers to gain major points for some time.
Last week: W v. #32 Gonzaga 81-73, W @ #57 Houston 89-77
This week: S v. #100 Texas El Paso, W v. #268 Southern Methodist
Friday, February 1st, 2008
#25 (21): Mississippi (16-3, 3-3), 2193.7
Mississippi got badly beaten in Starkville, but a win over Vanderbilt managed to control the damage somewhat. Their only game this week is against a fairly weak South Carolina team, so they should manage to hold around this position.
Last week: L @ #27 Mississippi St. 68-88, W v. #58 Vanderbilt 74-58
This week: S v. #152 South Carolina
#24 (NR): Kent St. (17-4, 6-1), 2194.3
The Golden Flashes put up two wins to move a game atop the conference. Their oppoenents this week both sit in the bottom half of the conference, so they should continue to move pretty steadily up the rankings.
Last week: W v. #121 Western Michigan 67-58, W @ #231 Eastern Michigan 77-67
This week: S @ #256 Toledo, W v. #316 Ball St.
#23 (10): Indiana (17-3, 6-1), 2195.0
Indiana find themselves on a two game losing streak, but should be able to pull it together as they face some of the weaker sisters of the conference.
Last week: L v. #19 Connecticut 63-68, L @ #13 Wisconsin 49-62
This week: U v. #224 Northwestern, R @ #161 Illinois
#22 (NR): Notre Dame (15-4, 5-2), 2196.0
The road win in Philadelphia was a huge step for the Irish, who desperately needed a decent performance outside of South Bend. They’ll have another chance for a win at Seton Hall.
Last week: W @ #97 Villanova 90-80, W v. #96 Providence 81-74
This week: S v. #167 DePaul, W @ #49 Seton Hall
#21 (NR): Nevada Las Vegas (16-4, 5-1), 2196.7
After a loss at Air Force, the Rebels have put together 4 straight victories in conference. They play New Mexico in a game that will be critical to them maintaining their share of the MWC lead.
Last week: W @ #74 San Diego St. 72-69, W @ #154 Texas Christian 70-58
This week: S v. #55 New Mexico, W @ #129 Utah
#20 (NR): Oklahoma (15-5, 3-2), 2200.1
The Sooners just barely survived against Oklahoma St., and could easily take further losses when two Texas teams come into to Norman this week.
Last week: W @ #35 Baylor 77-71, W v. #166 Oklahoma St. 64-61
This week: S v. #42 Texas A&M, W v. #37 Texas
#19 (NR): Connecticut (15-5, 5-3), 2202.5
The Huskies have found themselves on a four game winning streak, including a really good road win in Indiana. They’ll play two other 5-win Big East teams this week, and if they could get a couple of wins could set themselves up as a strong contender for 2nd place.
Last week: W @ #23 Indiana 68-63, W v. #31 Louisville 69-67
This week: S v. #28 Pittsburgh, W @ #68 Syracuse
#18 (24): Rhode Island (18-3, 4-2), 2215.1
After a 1-2 A10 start, the Rams have handled their business against the bottom half of the conference to move back into the upper part of the standings. They will face two tough tests this week in Dayton and UMass.
Last week: W @ #285 St. Bonaventure 89-77, W v. #160 Richmond 78-64
This week: S v. #56 Dayton, R @ #40 Massachusetts
#17 (12): Washington St. (17-3, 5-3), 2220.2
After they managed to salvage a win from the second half of their Arizona trip, they gave it right back by losing at home to Cal. They could easily end up on a three-game home losing streak if they can’t pull things together, as both Stanford and UCLA are coming to Pullman.
Last week: W @ #78 Arizona St. 56-55, L v. #101 California 64-69
This week: S v. #8 Stanford, R v. #5 UCLA
#16 (NR): Arizona (15-6, 5-3), 2221.7
Arizona have put together a very solid game winning streak, including a really solid win at USC, but this will likely be snapped by a game at UCLA, though you never know with the way the Pac-10 has been going.
Last week: W v. #114 Washington 84-69, W @ #52 Southern California 80-69
This week: S @ #5 UCLA
#15 (NR): Kansas St. (15-4, 5-0), 2225.2
After a decent, but unspectacular non-conference season, the Wildcats have been dynamite in conference play, including their huge win over undefeated #1 Kansas this week. They should be able to handle their games this week, but can’t allow themselves to get caught up in their marquee win.
Last week: W v. #117 Iowa St. 82-57. W v. #4 Kansas 84-75
This week: S @ #112 Missouri, W v. #92 Nebraska